ALEX SANDERSON MEDIA SESSION 31/10/2023

REFLECTIONS ON DEFEAT AT EXETER

“We know the preparation wasn’t quite right as I said post-game and to the players. We take some ownership as coaches by way of the messaging and quality of some of the training wasn’t up to the standards last week. We didn’t train that well. We probably went in there with a false confidence, that’s the first thing. So messages, preparation and we had a couple of late changes which added to maelstrom of the perfect storm.

“I took ownership for my own part that I had to play in first and foremost. You have to look to yourself and what you could have done differently by way of a stoic attitude. Then we put to the players and the leaders to get an understanding of their reflections on what they could have done better both in the lead-up and on the day. You find your answers and you start to put things right. Screaming and shouting still works, you can still do that. You create an anxiety spike and a reaction in time due to embarrassment and shame. It still works it’s just not one of the tools I choose to use.

“I think human beings across the world, backed up neuroscience, will spike and react to that kind of blasting, hair-dryer treatment. But it is not sustainable. So if you want sustained, consistent performance and motivation there is a better space you step into by ways of a little bit of discomfort, more honesty and taking the learnings from what was all-round a poor performance.”

PLAYERS’ REFLECTIONS ON THE EXETER DEFEAT

“Immediately Rob (du Preez), who was the captain at the time, grabbed them in. He said in front of the team that it was not on the coaches, it’s on us. He said it’s the players are the ones stepping out there. They took ownership for their part straight away. So that’s the most rewarding aspect when you are involved with a group like this because you are in it together. We win or we lose, good performance or bad performance, we are all part of it.

“The players had a slightly different slant on it on-field. You only have to go back a week for them to experience and feel a good performance against Leicester in a cauldron, where we had to come through adversity. The communication from bottom up wasn’t where it was the week before.”

RETURNING WORLD CUP PLAYERS

“We have got three back in but I am not saying which three they are. You can have a guess. If George is back this weekend I would assume the energy would be lifted with the kind of person he is. We have had Sam Dugdale who is a good openside who was injured last week. Ben and Tom Curry are world-class. They give you an edge at the breakdown. We had to go 30 phases against Northampton and Leicester without a turnover. That is hard work. If you have someone that gets over the ball it saves you a lot of hard work. Rob (du Preez) has been brilliant as a captain and a leader. But he needs help in terms of direction and George gives him that, coming back in if Rob were to start with George and we saw how seamless that 10-13 axis worked last year. Manu (Tuilagi) gives you bang. I think he is playing some of his best rugby which is great and he will have to compete with Sam Bedlow who is playing well.

“The hookers we were down to our 5th/6th choice. I couldn’t be prouder of them. That was Nathan Langdon’s Premiership debut. It’s clear we need experience because our set-piece hasn’t been up to the dominance we expect it to be. So both hookers coming back in will add there not just in voice but also their expertise and experience. Bevan Rodd; I reckon the most understated prop in the league. You watch Bevan go this year. He is a Rolls Royce loosehead. He can scrum and he runs and plays like a back-row. I am excited by him. If he doesn’t make the international side I am coaching the wrong game because he has qualities that have yet to be realised, people haven’t realised yet.”

ERNST VAN RHYN

“The whole of Altrincham loves him! He is great. He has unparalleled work-rate, never gives an inch. He was another one who worked really hard and it was a case of looking after him at the weekend because he has virtually played every game, including the pre-season. We are very lucky. He is exceeding expectations by ways of not just his work-rate, because we knew he was a banger, but we didn’t know he could do it for 80 minutes as consistently as he has, but also the bloke he is. He is in the leaders meetings now and for someone to be there in such a short space of time. He is valued and respected which is a testament to the bloke and player. We just want to keep pushing him. He comes with a fresh perspective as he is new to the environment. He comes with a South African edge and we have a few so he helps us out there in terms of his communications. He has been a leader all his life having captained the Stormers and South African age group teams. He is an energy-giver by his actions and endeavours.”

SAM BEDLOW

“The weekend being the exception he was brilliant against Leicester. We have got a few decent distributors with George (Ford), Rob (du Preez) and Sam James. Sam can be a distributor as well as he can play 10,12,13. The niche he has fitted in with us is a more direct, hard-running centre and offloading through contact. He is able to do that as well as we saw against Leicester. I feel if you were to match him up against a Dan Kelly, I think he probably got the better of him that day, physically. And that is saying something because Dan is a big fella. He is tremendously skilful and able to lean into the physical side of the game. I think where he has improved, from his own recognition, is his own dominance in that channel. He is chilled and he is from Rossendale which is where I grew up so he understands me.”

INJURY UPDATE

Luke Cowan-Dickie: “The meeting with the specialist went well, not as well as Luke would have liked it to have gone. But he is close. He is really close, probably not this week but not far off. He has been brilliant. He has got a love/hate relationship with Dan du Preez, who is really quiet and relatively insular. Luke is the opposite as we know, crazy mad, energetic. Right from the off he was sitting on his knee, telling him he is going to be his best mate. Dan was having none of it but still giving in to him. In training they are just belting each other, hitting each other, laughing, rolling around on the floor and then getting back up. Really weird relationship. That’s just one example.

“He seems fit for purpose, he is doing what all the other players do on a weekly basis. It’s just some of his parameters are down in terms of strength testing. We will know next week probably where he is at with that. The specialist was really positive. This is the same specialist that said he could be back for World Cup play-offs, that kind of time-frame. Luke goes in there thinking he was going to let him play. The specialist said very soon, two/ three weeks and Luke says BS. But then he said he has been out since January so he will wait until we are certain. He is a ball of energy and I love having him around the place.”

Joe Carpenter- touch and go

Tom O’Flaherty- grade two groin injury, two to four weeks

Raffi Quirke- four to six weeks with a jaw injury, elastic bands on the back of his jaw, fracture but a non-displaced fracture, he can train and do weights but not take another knock on it

Ben Curry- been training full this week, likely to be involved this week

OTHER NEWS

You don’t have to be a lot off to be a long way off with how competitive this league is, our intent is that this is the last time we learn that lesson, important not to catastrophise result last weekend

Big learning from the weekend- through adversity whatever we do we do together, which came from the players

Knew from the first three minutes that we weren’t at the races

Friday and Sunday are the best days for home games, avoiding Saturdays due to football, Sundays more family-orientated, Fridays party party, attendance is mostly based on performance

Expecting a reaction from Gloucester this week after their home loss against Saracens last week

No chance of throwing his hat in the ring for the Australia job, he would be flattered, Al has got a lot of business to do here, he is loving it, as crap as the Exeter defeat was would rather be with this group, loved the last couple of days turning it around, it is about the day-to-day, not the prestige or accolades of coaching an international team, what are you getting back from the people you see every day, feels it is reciprocal so he is loving it

Talked about using whatever edge you can after the defeat to Exeter last weekend, anything that gives you an edge for a weekend use it for that weekend but in the right manner, these are the learnings, this is the fuel, then you have the best of both worlds rather than just cracking the whip and creating anxiety whereby they become desperate, not deliberate.”